Today many businesses rely heavily on their IT networks in order to carry out their daily tasks. If their networks are riddled with holes and vulnerabilities, they risk their data being stolen, corrupted or lost. With this in mind, it is essential that they carry out patching on a regular basis.

Patching is the process of using a piece of software to update, fix and improve computer programs and networks. It can help to fix security vulnerabilities and resolve bugs, as well as improving the usability and performance of a program or system.

The problem is that dozens of holes and vulnerabilities are identified on a daily basis, so it can take a lot of time and effort for businesses to fully patch their networks. Just imagine trying to manually install over a hundred patches and checking over two hundred vulnerabilities on every machine on your network in a single month. It’s virtually impossible, which is why it’s usually automated.

Patching solutions

One option is to outsource the task of patching to a dedicated IT company. Pay them a monthly fee and they will be responsible for monitoring your IT network, exposing vulnerabilities and patching them. Outsourcing patching is very beneficial as it means you can continue running your business with the peace of mind that your network is being maintained by industry experts.

What is GFI LanGuard?

GFI LanGuard is a Virtual Security Consultant that offers patch management, vulnerability scanning and network auditing functionality. It is one of the most comprehensive security solutions on the market and greatly helps businesses reduce the cost of ownership of these three essential security tools. In addition to improving network security, LanGuard assists businesses in change management, asset inventory, risk analysis and compliance.

The software is very easy to set up and gives businesses a complete view of their network, helping them to maintain security and compliance. Through automation, patch management can be carried out quickly, effectively and with minimal administrative effort.

Benefits of using GFI LanGuard

Over 50,000 vulnerability assessments – GFI LanGuard is capable of carrying out over fifty thousand vulnerability assessments across network-connected devices with Automatic or Manual remediation.

In-depth audits – It provides a detailed audit of businesses’ hardware and software in a much quicker time than could be achieved manually.

Compatible with a wide range of operating systems – Another benefit of LanGuard is that it can manage patches across a number of different operating systems including Microsoft, Mac OS X and Linux. It is also able to patch web browsers and more than sixty 3rd party applications.

Reporting suite – Finally, LanGuard comes with an extensive reporting suite that business owners and IT Managers can use to monitor and boost the effectiveness of their compliance program. It gives businesses more control over their IT systems and allows them to patch holes before they cause major problems for both their staff and customers.

Conclusion

Patching is an essential process that is designed to eliminate holes in your security and strengthen your IT network. Today businesses simply can’t get away with turning a blind eye to security flaws in their systems. In order to ensure they are running their business efficiently and achieving compliance they need to use automated patch management software. GFI LanGuard is an award-winning solution that is used by everyone from SMEs to large multi-national corporations, local authorities and educational establishments.

To enable the lock down of USB ports, we employ GFI EndPointSecurity. Robert from Grant McGregor clearly had extensive knowledge and explained the features in layman’s terms and answered all the questions I had.